cbs 5 reporter mike sugarman found out from one legend who lived it. >> reporter: the cbs show "vegas" depictsen era in a much rougher time. there aren't many people still around from those days. it was 50 years ago. 86-year-old tony bennett is. and he remembers those days like when he signed the big contract to play ceasar's palace like it was yesterday. >> was there at the beginning. >> reporter: back then vegas was a black tie town. >> in those days it was quite different. they wouldn't allow -- just a very top quality. everybody was in tuxedos. you couldn't get into a theater without a tie. >> great grandfather came down. part of the first mormon settlement. >> the mormons made more money than the gangsters. because they had -- they owned the land. >> reporter: the mormon owned bank of las vegas did give loans to casino owners, often part of organized crime, before other banks would. the money was spent lavishly. >> when the corporations came in it became, it's not quite the same now. >> reporter: trade las vegas as that still rough and tumble city. the legend still remembers fond